By Nicole Matheson

Lake Havasu City has long been one of the desert jewels of Arizona, boasting a weather and landscape fit for high adventure and leisure but there are hazards that can be avoided with proper education and precaution.

A new organization is striving to embrace the area’s outdoor opportunities while mitigating its dangerous nature.

Safe Desert Living

Kids Corner Enrichment is a nonprofit established to bring fun and educational events to the Lake Havasu area while maintaining a focus on water and sun safety.

Kids were able to practice their fishing skills as an activity at the launch party in January. Samantha Zasadil/RiverScene

Promoting safety is an important component considering tourism is a lifeline for Havasu.

Kids Corner Enrichment representative Corina Fallon understands this crucial connection. “The focus of the area is on water and sun safety as we live on one of the deadliest bodies of water in the United States yet our community is dependent on the tourism and traffic to keep us going. We are empowering the people though the booth with life jacket awareness, sun screen samples and information, as well as, a focus on proper hydration for safe desert living,” she said.

Public safety and enrichment of education of youth is a common thread that runs through the support structure of Kids Corner Enrichment.

NCSO brought down one of their boats to display during the Kid’s Corner Enrichment launch party in January. Samantha Zasadil/RiverScene

“We have the support of multiple law enforcement agencies, such as Mohave County Sheriff’s Office as the more we can do to keep our local families and children making smart decisions while on the water and in the desert, the less time these officers will have to be responding to preventable emergencies and have more time and resources to attend to accidents,” Fallon said.

We Are Only Human

A large effort this year for Kids Corner Enrichment is a program focused on self-awareness titled “We Are Only Human”. The program will bring a life jacket wall, sunscreen application stations, and free water and hydration areas to events, “…so people get the understanding that flesh, blood and bone don’t hold up against our elements without proper planning and education.” The aim is to help people understand and save lives.

Kid’s Corner Enrichment Launch Party at Mudshark Brewery teaches kids about water safety through games. Samantha Zasadil/RiverScene

“This is mixed with sensory fun games, face painting and coloring areas, yard games, interactive water wall and water tables plus more to give kids a place to play and give us the opportunity to connect the reasons sun and water safety are related to our efforts,” Fallon said.

Kids Corner Enrichment is targeting an important element that ties so many together along the river – kids. The recreational activities in Havasu are among the reasons people visit and for some to relocate, but the focus is often on adults rather than children.

Families play different games that were available at the kickoff event in January. Samantha Zasadil/RiverScene

“Most of the time, there is more focus on the beer garden than on giving families a place to come enjoy themselves so kids always say, ‘there is nothing to do.’ We hope to fill that gap and give that area some opportunity to enrich their lives with event-related booths, community connections to highlight participating businesses, and give presentations on water and sun safety.”

Kids Corner Enrichment will next be at the Lake Havasu Boat Show from April 3rd to the 5th.